1
one
Maybe a bit inclined or maybe not a bit, can even be a curve, like in the last example.
2
mouth
Watch out, don't confuse "mouth" with "surround"
№50. They can be distinguished from each other by their size (the only case in hieroglyphics), but you'll never find a thing in a "mouth" and a plenty of in the "surround".
3
second
Following the tradition, we will treat 乛, ㇆, 乚, ⺄ , etc as its variant. There is a handful of variants here, watch out! From simple to sophisticated ones as the last three examples. Two variants of "second" in the second example.
4
man (on the left)
A "man" with a hat of sorts.
5
man
Three variants of "men" gathered in a "crowd". Take a note that standard "falling rigthwards" when necessary effortlessly turns into "dot", that allows to combine them in the graph
№10 (we'll meet this calligraphic trick time and again).
6
sun
Two examples of two variants of "sun". One is stretched a lot and another one stretched differently. Get accustomed with them.
9
hand
Covers all possible variants of "hand" except from扌
№20. It is hard to distinguish who owns the horizontal line when it is combined with the "spear"
№27. In the second example it meets itself and the third one has extra "finger" up. The last one is super simplified "hand" that could be easily confused with "falling leftwards"
№12 -
№1. Watch out!
10
dot
Same as "falling rightwards", i.e. the line going from left to right, top to bottom, regardless of its length. Three variants of "dots" in two characters.
11
earth
Differs from similar "scholar"
№102 by horizontal lines length ratio("earth" has shorter top stroke). With a lack of space, "tilts" the bottom horizontal line a bit, as for example, before "dragon" (a very common calligraphic trick).
12
falling leftwards
Can be almost vertical as the original, inclined as in the first example or almost lying as in the second one. The last one is reduced almost to a point, but still comes from top-right to down-left.
13
knife
First example contains two "knifes": almost classic one pressed to the bottom and another "knife on the side" above it. Next, the classic "knife above". Two variants of "knife on the side" follows next, but they are still "knifes".
14
tree
The "tree" shrinks like "man"
№5, reducing "falling rightwards" to "dot"
№10.
15
walk
Almost always lies on the left side and the bottom of a character. Sometimes hides right in the middle.
16
vertical stroke
Varies only in length (sorry, height :) ).
17
moon
There are only two variants, but they are always easy to recognize.
18
water
Classic "water" can have its hook modified. Second example has two variants: "water on the left" and rather frequent compressed variant. The last one is very peculiar because "water" here is a "covering" graph, that contains 3 horizontal lines. We treat this differently than tradition, that states that the radical here is the "hand".
19
say (abbr.)
Full variant is very rare to appear.
20
hand (var.)
Easy to recognize, differs in height. Traditionalists beware, that's not "hand"
№9, that's different graph.
21
two
Encodes all paired horizontal lines.
22
heart
Flattens a bit when sits at the bottom. Familiar and frequent to appear variant of "heart on the left" (example 3) and a rare one in the last example.
23
antenae
Mostly appear on the top. If lowered, covers the character. Can never sit at the very bottom.
27
spear
"Reduced" variant of the "spear" is traditionally known as radical "hunt". Encodes as 戈*.
28
big
All variants of "big" are easy to recognize and differ only in variations of height or width of character.
30
foretell
Two variants of "foretell" in one character.
35
tread (abbr.)
Sometimes you come across variants of "tread" that must have slipped through "the reform of simplification".
36
leg
These is no hook on the upper horizontal in some cases.
37
eight
There are three types. Sometimes includes somethings inside itself or can "cover" other graphs, like in the last two examples.
38
again
There are two variants and the second one appears only in characters derived from the one in the last example.
39
beta
Both "town" and "mound" combined in one that looks the same. Its placement on the left or right of the character is determined by graph sequence of a character description. No variants here.
40
eye
A common variant of the "eye" with longer bottom horizontal line. Both examples utilises special "empty" graph - * to input.
41
king
Easily predictable variant, tilted bottom horizontal line. And two variants in one example.
42
grain
Same type of modifications as in "tree"
№14 and "man"
№5 - reduction of falling rightwards stroke to a dot.
43
down box
One of the "covering" graphs, that is never empty inside, except for one variant combined with the "surround"
№50. There are four variants.
44
topknot
Traditionally it is treated as a variant of "small"
№61 but it seems to be more simple to treat it like a different graph with two variants.
45
self
The second variant can be mistaken for "seal"
№88. Watch out!
46
visor
There is no such a thing in traditional set but it simplifies decomposition a lot.
47
son
Slightly tilted middle line makes the only variant for this graph.
48
stand
Standing on "side"
№73 or "turban"
№84 sits on "cover"
№94. Seems that the "horizontal"
№1isn't stable enough.
50
surround
Check the "mouth"
№2. Anything sitting inside marks the "surround", because there can't be anything in "mouth". Rare to have nothing inside. Tha last example is combines two "covering" graphs - "surround" + "down box"
№43.
51
child
Third character is a peculiar example of being a "covering" graph, i.e. it holds some other graphs inside. Keep that in mind when doing decomposition.
52
evening
Can be confused with "moon"
№17, but is more like "meat on the left"
№128.
54
rice
This variant of rice you are able to recognize yourself already.
55
right hook
There is no such a key in traditional set. Encodes all variants of "lower left angle".
56
steep
Sometimes has a sloped top.
57
strike (on the right)
Tends to be confused with "walk slowly"
№63. A rare occurrence of old radical "strike" in the example.
59
tau
Only the top horizontal line changes its lenght.
61
small
Sometimes it is short.
62
old (abbr.)
Traditionally it is regarded as a variant of "old" (see the example). But we won't follow, because the variant is much more rare now. Also is a component of 姥 and 佬.
63
walk slowly
All variants are very similar and easy to recognize. One of them can even harbor a "dot" inside of it.
64
two vertical
There is no such a thing in traditional set but it simplifies decomposition a lot.
66
sheep
A shortened "sheep" loses its leg (or is it tail?) and sometimes is bent a bit.
68
corpse
Shouldn't be confused with "door"
№110.
69
stop
A rather predictable variant.
73
side
Sometimes loses its "dot" when alone or as a component of a character.
75
stop
A rather predictable variant.
76
cow
There are two variants, a shortened and a laterally compressed one.
77
bamboo(on top)
Seems like you can never come across traditional, full form of "bamboo" - 竹.
78
fire
Two variants at once. A laterally compressed and rather familiar "fire" and "fire at bottom".
82
axe
Changes its "falling leftwards" stroke to vertical when standing on horizontal strokes.
83
spirit
"Spirit on the left" looks more like a variant of "clothes"
№117, "clothes on the left". Watch out!
85
ice
Looks like a variant of "water on the left"
№18.
86
west(on top)
Traditional variant of "west" is more rare than a compact one and looks like "wine"
№159. To avoid confusion compact variant is used in graphs table.
88
seal
The second variant looks like "self"
№45. Watch out!
89
tough
Two compressed variants here.
90
dog
"Dog on the left" is way more frequent the the original.
92
pig
After "knife on top"
№13 and "mouth"
№2 combo or after "pig's nose"
№103 looses its top horizontal stroke.
94
cover
"Roof" but without top "dot"
№29. No other variants.
95
asterisk,blank graph
"Modifier graph" or blank graph doesn't have its own image but helps to represent some graphs. Appears like * in graph description.
102
scholar
Chinese "scholar" always stands straight, without any regards to size or position. First horizontal is larger than the one of "earth"
№11.
103
pig's nose(abbr.)
Sometimes has longer "nose" and looks like "brush"
№141, but is never accompanied by "vertical stroke"
№16 , "hook"
№33 and "falling leftwards"
№12. Sometimes has longer lowest horizontal stroke, see the second example. Full variant is rather rare now, see the third example.
104
gold
Most often is seen as "gold on the left". Rather peculiar example of combination of "father"
№131 and "gold".
107
chip
A more simple version of "chips", then situated on the right look differently, see the first example. Traditional, full variants are very rare, with slight variations, see the other examples.
108
small table
Compacted "small table" bends its leg.
110
door
Traditional form of "door" in the example.
111
use
Sometimes "falling leftwards" stroke is streightened.
112
clan
Top "falling leftwards" can be displaced by other graph and horizontal can become "falling leftwards".
115
receptacle
"Covering" graph caught into "surround"
№50.
117
clothes
Can be a "covering" graph, taking other graphs under its hat or simply loosing it in the second example. "Clothes on the right" is much more frequent compact variant. Looks very similar to "spirit on the left"
№83, just one more "falling leftwards" added. Watch out!
118
foot(on the left)
Full version of "foot" is quite rare.
120
go
A "covering" graph can harbour many things inside. Be careful when decomposing.
121
cave
A quite expectable modification of "cave" in the first example and unexpected loss of top dot in the second.
128
meat(on the left)
Looks very similar to "moon"
№17 and can be often confused for one. Watch out! Full variant is much more rare.
129
claw(on top)
Full variant is much more rare.
136
stream
Bends its vertical stroke in the first example. Another variant of "stream" in the second example and a shortened version in the third. Three horizontal strokes version in the last one.
141
brush
Looks a bit like "pig's nose"
№103.
144
without
Second "horizontal stroke" is transformed into "right hook" when there are two instances of the graph or it comes after "strong"
№89.
148
worm
Looses its right dot when placed on top of "shell".
150
rain
Flattened version of "rain" is more frequent than the traditional one .
152
net (abbr.)
Rare variant of "net" in the example. There are no combinations with it.
155
food(on the left)
Standing alone turn into traditional full form.
158
fourth
Placed on top transforms like in the first example. Can be a "covering" graph, holding "though"
№89 inside.
160
boat
There is a single variant of "boat" that lost the bottom "dot".
169
lame
Different legged "lame" in this example. Sometimes can underline the following graph.
170
servant
Can loose internal vertical strokes in some cases.
171
insignificant
This variant where it changes its "dot" for "falling leftwards" is more frequent than the original graph.
173
bird
This variant without the internal "dot" was found as a separate character only once. Requires addition of "*" graph to distinguish it from the original.
183
mortar
Can be a "covering" graph with major difference in one variant only.
192
long hair
Sometimes looses its "hair" then combined with other graphs.
199
servant
Transforms when combined with "field"
№70.
